Cavs’ concussed Love to miss Hornets clash

Los Angeles (AFP) – Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who took an elbow to the face that knocked loose a tooth on Tuesday, has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol, the team said Wednesday.

The move means he’ll miss the Cavaliers’ contest against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, and possibly more games depending on when his symptoms subside.

Including Wednesday’s game, the Cavs have just eight games remaining in the regular season, in which they have yet to play with their full roster thanks to injuries.

“Following Tuesday night’s front tooth subluxation in the first quarter and subsequently experiencing concussion-like symptoms at halftime and not returning to play, Cavaliers forward Kevin Love received additional evaluation Wednesday morning and has been placed in the NBA concussion protocol,” the Cavs said in a statement.

“He is OUT for Wednesday’s game in Charlotte vs. the Hornets and his status will be updated as appropriate.”

After he was elbowed early in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 98-79 loss to the Heat, Love returned to the game. But after experiencing concussion-like symptoms, he was held out in the second half.

Love, who missed game three of the 2016 NBA Finals because of a concussion, returned just last week from a 21-game absence due to a broken bone in his left hand.

In his first four games back, all Cavs’ victories, Love averaged 20.3 points and 10 rebounds.

The NBA’s concussion protocol requires a player to remain symptom free through increasingly intense levels of training, with no exact timeline given for a return.